Automobile control



Oct. 29, 1929. L, E, R S ELL 1,733,979 AU TOMOBILE CONTROL Filed Aug. 29, .1928

Patented Oct. 29, 1929 UNITED STATES mm carries,

LINUS E. EussELL, or SPRINGFIELD, omo, assrenon or oN -HAL 'ro eEoEeE E.

. PETERS, or srErNeEIELn, OHIO Q AUTOMOBILE oomnor.

Application filed August 29, 1928. Serial No. 362,849.

My invention relates to control devices for motor vehicle engines, and more particularly to a single manually operable control'element common to both the starter switch and the carburetor choke or priming device. In a new type of popular motor vehicle recently introduced, the starter pedal is located in an extreme forward position upon the foot board,

and the choke or priming control is distantly located toward the right side of the dash,

' where such devicesare inconvenient for approximately simultaneous operation.

In the present invention, a single operating rod extending within easy and convenient 16 reach of the driver, is operatively connected The object of the present invention is to li the construction as well as the mode 1 slmp' fy .j olperative CODIIGOtIOII w1th the carburetor v and means of operation of such vehicle motor control devices, whereby they will'not only be cheapened in construction, but will be more eiiicient in use, effective in operation, uniform in action, conveniently accessible, easily operated, and unlikely, to get out of repair.

A. further! object of the present invention is to provide a control device of extremely simple form and of few parts, which may be economically manufactured, to be sold at a popular price, which may be quickly and easily appliedto the popular type of motor vehicle before mentioned.

' A, further object of the invention is to enable the location of the motor starterand fuel regulating means within easy reach of the driver in order that these devicesmay be conso veniently and easily manipulated while main-- taining normal driving position and perfect control of the steering wheel.

A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a common control device for two or more operative mechanisms which may befreadily and quickly applied to existing vehicles with- 3 out reconstruction or rearrangement of parts by persons unskilled in mechanical trades.

A further object of the invention is to provide such control means, utilizing so far as possible, the existingparts of the standard motor vehicle.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consistsof the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation or their'equivalent as hereinafter describedand set forth in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view beneath the hood of a motor vehicle, showing themotor starter and the control device oper atively connected thereof. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the dash of a vehicle showing the relative position and mounting of the control member. detail plan view. Fi 4 is a side elevation of a portion of .the vehicle motor showing the oke arm. I Like parts are represented by similar characters of reference throughout the several views. I

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates. the

is the usual steering ost 2, beside which is located the starter 3 or the vehicle motor a Mounted ontop of the starter 3 is the starter switch housing 5, controlled by a depressible plunger 6 loosely mounted for both'reciprocatory and rotary motion within an upwary and rearwardly inclined guide sleeve or floor board of the vehiclebody as viewed from beneath. Extending through the floor board socket 7. The'uper end of this switch plunger 6 is counter redto receive the stem of the usual starter pedal which projects,

' through the floor board 1 and is engaged with such switch plunger 6' by acotter pin 8 in the original construction as supplied by the manaufacturer. At the opposite sideof the motor :4, from that shown in Fig. 1, there is located a carburetor 9 provided with an oscillatory arm 10which controls a carburetor. choke or priming valve.

The construction thus far described is that found in a popular type of motor vehicle before mentioned and forms no part per se of the present invention.

"In'applying the present control device to such motor vehicle, the original starter pedal control rod 12 is inserted within thecounterbore or socket in the end of the switch plunger 6, and is secured thereto bythe return of the cotter pin 8 through registeringholes in the switch plunger and the end of the control rod in the same manner that it formerly connected-the stem of the starterpedal.

v To support the upperend, of the control rod 12, there is provided a bracket arm 13 secured to the lower side of the instrument housing 14 upon the'cowl board or dash 15.

As supplied bythe manufacturer, this instrument housing 14 is attached by two screws 16 which, in the present instance, are utilized for attachment of the bracket arm 13. The

bracket arm 13 is'provided at its extremity v with an e. cor loop 17 preferably, though not V depress the switch plunger 6. The rod is also. 45,

necessari y, enclosing a bushing sleeve through which the control rod 12 extends. This control rod 12 carries at its upper end a knob or button 19 by which the rod may be longitudinally depressed through the guide afforded by the mounting arm 13 in order to capable of to and fro rocking motion, the degreeofrocking adjustmentbeing determined by amark or knob 20. v v

Fixedly secured to the control rod 12 be low the foot board 1 is a rock arm 22 which pointer 21 upon the button or carries at its extremity a pivotally mounted I stud or swivel 3 with which is connected one end of a flexible operating wire 24. The wire 24'comprises the reciprocatory element of a Bowden wire connection, the casing or guide tube 25 of which is secured in an eye or sleeve 26 formed by the curled end of a bracket 27 This, bracket 27 is secured in position by a bolt 28 projecting through the floor board of the vehicle and which is a part of the original vehicle construction. At its opposite end, the

- guide tube 25 is securedto a bracket '29 attached to the carburetor 9, while th'eextremgiven a corresponding rocking or rotary mo-" tion in unison with that of the rod 12. When it is desired to. start the motor, the rod 12 is depressed longitudinally thereby depressing the starter switch plunger 6 wholly independent of the rocking adjustment of the arm 22 and the reciprocatory adjustment of the wire 24. The depression of the plunger 6 closes the starter circuit in the usualmanner, just as though the original starter pedal was connected therewith. During such reciprocatory motion of the control rod 12, the arm 22 moves with it, there being suflicient flexibility in the actuator wire 24 to permit such adjustment without interfering. with the operative action of such wire. That is to say, the arm 22 responds to both the rocking and thrust mo-' tion, the rocking motion being effective to adjust the carburetor choke or arm independently of the starter and the thrust motion being operative to close the starter switch re gardless of the operative position of the rock arm. Cross reference is made to my co-pending applications pertaining to analogous subj ect matter, to wit, Ser. No. 261,953, filed Mar. 15, 1928; Ser. No. 283,988, filed June'8, 1928; Ser. No. 306,543, filed Sept. 12, 1928'; Ser. No. 308,289, filed Sept. 25, 1928; and Ser. No. 317 ,467 ,filed Nov. 5 1928.

From the above parent that there isthus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, propordescription it will be ap-' tions, detail construction and arrangement of,

parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I 1. Manually operable means for adjusting the carburetor and operating the starter While in order to comply with the statute switch of a vehicle motor, comprising an oscillatory arm capable of bodily movementindependent of its oscillatory motion in a direction angular to its direction of oscillation, an operative connection between the arm and carburetor, controlled by the oscillatory motion of the arm, and an operative connection between the arm and the starter switch whereby the switch is closed upon the bodily movement of the arm.

by rocking adjustment of the latter, said control member being operatively connected with the depressible plunger for transmitting motion thereto bythe longitudinal movement of thecontrol member independent of its rocking motion.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of August A. D. 1928.

LINUS E. RUSSELL.

2. The combination with a motor starter I switch having a depressible plunger, of a rod connected directly with said plunger and extending into proximity with the dash of a motor vehicle, a rock arm carried by the, rod, and a reciprocatory connection between said rock arm and the adjusting element of a motor carburetor, whereby a thrustmotion of said rod will operate the starter switch independent of the adjustment of the carburetor, and a rocking motion of the rod will actuate the carburetor adjusting element independent of the operation of the starter switch.'

3. The combination with a motor vehicle starter switch having a longitudinally dev pressible plunger, the end of which is counter- .bored to receive an actuator stem and a transjusting element of the motor carburetor whereby the starter switch is operated by an endwise thrust of said rod independent of the carburetor adjustment, and the carburetor is adjusted by a rocking motion of the rod independent of its endwise thrust motion.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a control rod having one end operatively connected with the starter switch of a motor vehicle, said rod extending through the floor board of the vehicle into convenient grasping distance of the driver, a rock arm fixedly secured to the rod, a flexible reciprocatory connection between the rock arm and an adjusting element-of the motor carburetor, said rod being capable of inde endent endwise thrust and rocking motions w ereby the starter switch and carburetor adjusting member maybe independently actuated by said motions of. the rod.,

5. The combination with a depressible plunger and a distantly located member to be independently actuated, of a control member capable of independent rocking and longitudinal motion, a Bowden wire transmission element connecting the distantly located memher with the control member for actuation 

